UTI not going away . Its crippling me !any help ?
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi
i m 37 female . i have a history of recurrent uti's since my childhood . 1 everymonth .
last 3-5 years has been a relief with nitrofurantoin prophylaxis . i only had very few attcks that were easily sorted out by a single antibiotic course .
2 months ago i developed this uti after sex . since then i have had 5 days trimethoprim , 1 week augmentin , 5 days nitrofurantoin
courses . nothing helped . i went to urologist he put me on nitrofurantoin 100mg twice a day for a month . its my 10th day on antibiotic and nothing has changed . i have burning / inflamation / raw sensation in my urethera . if it goes up i can feel irritation lower in my bladder too . i cant wear my regular trousers / jeans as it flares up my burning . i am working from home last 3 weeks . i went to work last week for a day and came back home with hightened symptoms . sitting in the office long hours caused it . although i wore a loose trouser but i think even wearing a panty gives irritation . i burst into tears when i got back home . my life is shattering into pieces . i cant operate at all . and it is hugely affecting my relationship . i am so depressed . to a point where i have started to hate myself . and i question myself will it be ever getting better ?
what if i have got an antibiotic resistant bacteria?
i have urologist appointment in two weeks for a followup . my urine test all came negative . my dr will share the culture report with me in the next appointment . mostly my culture shows no growth . but i always get instant relief from antibiotic that means the tests miss the infectiom and are not 100% reliable . but my urologist luckily understands this . and even if the test are negative . he gives importantce to the patient symptoms .
He said if it doesnt get better he will do cystoscopy mri ultrasound and all sort of tests . which i have done in past . and they all came negative . which i kind of know will be fine this time too . every person knows their body.
i can tell its a uti infection which is very persistant and showing resistant to antibiotics . i might need to ask my dr to put me on wide spectrum and heavy dose antibiotic that can help fight the bacteria within the biofilm .
Please if any of you have similar story , please share and please advise if you have any ideas whats wrong with me and how can i get rid of it .its been two months of continous agony . i cant take it anymore.
Sarah
0 likes, 22 replies
miriam65408 sarah556677
Posted
Your problem probably is e.coli which, as you say, protects itself with a biofilm. Antibiotics can only kill the free-floating bacteria (which cause the symptoms) but the main colony remains protected within the biofilms. To destroy the biofilm takes time. One way is to take D.Mannose for maybe 4 - 6 months which slowly wears away the biofilm and releases the bacteria. These are then free floating and dangerous but taking cranberry juice (27% - not 10% so check the label!) can protect your bladder lining and prevent them from them setting up new colonies. Drinking plenty also keeps them flushed through so be sure to take the cranberry every day (100ml a day) and drink plenty of water. Avoid sugary drinks although it's ok to add a little orange juice to the cranberry as it can be too tart for some. It will also help to take high dose Vit C (try 4 x 500g) while you are trying to get rid of the infection as they don't like it! Avoid sugar in general as the bugs love it!
You can go down the broad spectrum route but please do take a look at the fluoroquinolone antibiotic discussions here on this site before you do. Cipro (along with the other fluoroquinolones) is a strange antibiotic - it helps many people but it can also cause very severe and long lasting adverse reactions. Some people's lives are ruined by just one tablet while others can take maybe 3 or 4 courses and are then in agony - which lasts for years. I have heard of people taking 50 courses before they reach their "threshold" but nobody knows until they start taking it (like a bad lottery!). How it will affect you will depend on several factors including your age, fitness, lifestyle and genetic makeup. If you know you have a genetic problem don't risk it, ditto if you have to take steroids or other long term drugs.
sarah556677 miriam65408
Posted
very helpful .Thanks
sarah556677
Posted
Thank you Marilee , Miriam and Tony for your replies and suggestions . i will look into broad spectrum antibiotics .and keep away from cipro . also i ll start trying dmannose and cranberry tablets again . cant do cranberry juice as it unfortunately gives me sore throat . i did dmannose before but it didnt help my symptoms so i gave up . may be i just need to stick with it a bit longer to see the results . how long do you think it will take when you already have an infection ?
For an update . i woke up with burning which is on going for last 3 days . and another day i didnt go to work . i think i have reached a point where i should consider taking indefinite sick leave until i get better .
i feel like my whole life is being compromised . i cant even get into my pants because of the irritation and burn . i cant go to work . it is brining tension in my relationship . i get suicidal thoughts .
still 2 weeks to my urologist appointment . it feels like 2 years of wait . i hope i ll get a better treatment plan this time .